Kolkata Metro recorded its highest-ever single-day ridership and ticket revenue on Monday, carrying 10.5 lakh passengers and earning Rs 1.84 crore from ticket sales ahead of Durga Puja, according to the metro authorities as reported by Sangbad Pratidin.
The figures mark new all-time records for the network on both measures. The latest surge comes as residents step out for pre-Puja shopping, increasing demand across Kolkata’s rapid transit system. Metro authorities said the festive shopping rush has contributed to overcrowding on trains.
The Green Line played a particularly significant role in the record. Its daily ridership reached 3.13 lakh, the highest ever recorded on that corridor. Passenger numbers on the Purple Line crossed 13,000, while the Yellow Line carried more than 10,000 passengers on the same day.
The figures highlight the increasingly important role of the metro network in handling seasonal travel demand in Kolkata. The concentration of passengers on the Green Line also indicates the growing contribution of newer corridors to the city’s overall public transport capacity, although the report does not provide a line-wise comparison with earlier days.
Metro authorities have announced extended services during the Puja period to manage the expected increase in passenger numbers. The Blue and Green lines will operate through the night on the two Saptami days, Ashtami and Navami. During busy periods, trains will run at six-minute intervals on the Blue Line and eight-minute intervals on the Green Line.
On Panchami and Shashthi, the Blue Line is scheduled to operate 284 trains, with services beginning at 6am and the last train at 11pm. During peak periods, the interval between trains will be six minutes. The Green Line is scheduled to run 240 trains on the same two days.
For the extended festive schedule from October 17 to October 20, Blue Line services will begin at 1pm and continue until 4am the following day. On the Green Line, services will start at 1.30pm and continue until 3.59am the next day. The overnight operations are intended to support passengers travelling for shopping and Puja-related activities.
The latest ridership record comes before the main festive travel period begins, when metro services are expected to face sustained demand across key parts of the city. The announced schedules and additional trains will determine how effectively the network handles the increase while keeping passengers moving through the night.
